TeachText
The TeachText application is a simple text editor made by Apple Computer bundled with System 7.1 and earlier. It was created by Apple programmer Bryan Stearns with later versions created by Stearns and Francis Stanbach. TeachText was one of the only applications included with the Mac system software, leading to its frequent role as the application to open "ReadMe" files. It was named "TeachText" as a nod to this role in tutorials and other introductory materials.
TeachText was derived from the Edit application, which was a simple text editor for the early pre-System 6 Apple Macintosh computers. Edit was included with early versions of the basic system software to demonstrate the use of the Macintosh user interface. While Edit was a demonstration program for developers, TeachText was used mainly by users to display Read Me documents.
Since the first Macintosh models came with a full-featured word processor, MacWrite, software publishers commonly shipped documentation in its native format. When Apple stopped bundling MacWrite, ownership was transferred to Claris, so developers could not distribute it on their programs' installation floppy disks. With no text program present on the disks, owners without a second floppy disk drive or hard disk could be left with no way to view documentation or installation instructions. Apple supplied TeachText as a small, freely-distributable program to address this need.
